Alumasc External Wall Insulation Systems come together at Croydon House

Posted by david.luukas

Feb3

Swisslab and Swistherm External Wall Insulation (EWI) systems from Alumasc, have been used together to overcome a number of aesthetic and technical challenges in the extensive refurbishment of Croydon House in Bristol.

Croydon House is an 18-storey residential tower block managed by Bristol City Council, who required an EWI solution to improve the building’s thermal performance and to upgrade the existing brick façade in accordance with local planning regulations.

Alumasc achieved this using the Swistherm system on floors 1-17 with acrylic brick slips supplied in terracotta and buff to exactly match the existing bricks of the building. On the ground floor, Swisslab was installed with traditional brick slips to ensure a more robust, impact resistant build up.

Creating an exact match for both the acrylic and clay slips was essential to maintain aesthetic continuity, yet despite using two different materials, Alumasc succeeded in emulating the colour and texture of the original brickwork whilst maintaining water resistance throughout the facade. In addition, existing balcony areas were enclosed using timber framing and overclad with Alumasc EWI systems, providing residents with increased, thermally improved, living spaces.

The systems were installed by Alumasc Approved Installer Rateavon of Bristol using approximately 3000m2 of 80mm EPS insulation and 180,000 brick slips. Use of the systems has resulted in a significant improvement in the building’s thermal performance from a U-value of 1.39 W/m2K to 0.26 W/m2K, vastly improving the living conditions for residents inside the building.